Leadership DeKalb, Tennessee

05/20/2026

Congratulations to our own Kayden Barron! He will be graduating this week, and we are so proud of him. We have enjoyed having him in the LD Class of 2026 and wish him the best in all his future endeavors!

04/17/2026

As we prepare for our busiest tourism season, the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to help clean up our community! Whether it’s your neighborhood, parks, workplaces, ballparks, roadways, schools—or anywhere you choose—every effort makes a difference.

For your convenience, Chris Chapman, DeKalb County Public Works Director, will have dumpsters available at four locations across the county from May 6th–10th:
📍 Dowelltown Community Center
📍 Liberty Community Center
📍 Alexandria City Parking Lot (behind the square)
📍 DeKalb County Complex

Let’s work together to keep DeKalb County clean, beautiful, and ready to welcome our visitors! 💚

04/14/2026

April was Agriculture and Economic Development Day! Stops included UT/TSU Extension, USDA Service Center, Star Manufacturing, Middle TN Natural Gas, Close Farms, and Bert Driver Nursery. We also appreciate learning from Angela Regitko with TN Dept. Of Economic Development and Darrell Gill. Industry, small business, and agriculture are all vital to our county, and it's always great to learn about the successes and struggles that they face. Thank you to UT/TSU Extension, MTNG, and Gill Automotive for being our sponsors and Kilgores for preparing lunch!

03/18/2026

Our overnight state government trip is always a fun learning experience! It may have been freezing, but that didn't stop us! We appreciate all the speakers and legislators who took time out of their very busy schedules to meet with us. We watched a House and Senate session, toured the beautiful Capitol, and spoke with State Representative Michael Hale and Sen. Janice Bowling. We learned from Clint Hall, government affairs with NHC and Mark Ezel, the commissioner of tourism. We learned about how bills are discussed in committees and become law (or dont). Of course, we ate well and grew closer as a group!

03/07/2026

Chamber Chat – Spreading the Good News! Want to stay in the know about what’s happening in our community? Chamber Chat shares the good news of DeKalb County — from local events and new businesses to industry highlights and community updates.

📻 Listen live on WJLE Radio the first Wednesday of each month at 8:30 AM
📺 Watch on DTC TV 3
▶️ Or catch the replay on YouTube anytime!

It’s a great way to keep up with the people, places, and progress that make our community special. ❤️

03/07/2026

If you loved Leadership DeKalb, check out this opportunity!

Citizens Fire Academy – DeKalb County Fire Department

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a firefighter? Here’s your chance to find out!

Join the DeKalb County Fire Department Citizens Fire Academy starting Tuesday, April 14th. The program runs one night a week for six weeks and gives you a hands-on look at firefighting, equipment, emergency response, and more.

✔ Must live or work in DeKalb County, TN
✔ Limited spots available

Come learn what your local fire department does to serve the community!
For more information:

https://dekalbfire.com/citizens-fire-academy/

Email [email protected] to sign up.

02/14/2026

The Class of 2026 went back to school last week! We toured each school and spoke with the principals. We ate breakfast at DWS, and the DCHS Culinary Class prepared an amazing lunch. The Career and Technical Education Classes at the high school are top notch! We then headed over to the Board of Education to meet with Director of Schools, Patrick Cripps and other staff. Successes and challenges were discussed throughout the day. We want to thank FirstBank of Smithville for sponsoring the session and April Martin for facilitating!

02/06/2026

Check out this great group! There are so many LD alumni. Thank you for serving!

Meet the 2026 Chamber Board! We’re excited to introduce the incredible leaders serving on the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber Board for 2026!

These dedicated professionals volunteer their time to support local businesses, strengthen our community, and help move DeKalb County forward. We’re grateful for their leadership and heart for service.

01/17/2026

We are proud of these two LD alumni who are representing DeKalb County in this charity dance contest! You can support them by attending the dinner and show (what a fun Valentine date!) or donating to help them win the philanthropy award!

https://www.wcte.org/events/lets-dance/teams/

01/13/2026

We kicked off 2026 learning about Alexandria and DeKalb County history! We are so thankful for Hosanna Farm Childcare and Alexandria Coffee & Cafe for the delicious meals, sponsorship, and fellowship. Ria Baker and Jen Sherwood are always so informative and are a wealth of historical knowledge. We also learned about the DeKalb County Fair Alexandria, Tennessee and are excited about going this summer. It is always fun to visit the fine folks at the Alexandria Activity Center, too! A big thanks to Junk N Jewels and The Handmade Gift Shop for opening up for us and sharing about their journeys. We also met with Mayor Jeff Ford and appreciate his guidance and positivity. DTC Communications also hosted, provided snacks, and taught us the importance of staying connected, both in technology and in community! If you haven't visited Alexandria lately, do it!